Skip to main content
Dictionary
Store
Blog
World
Help
Advertise
Chat
System Status
Information Collection Notice
Trademark Concerns
reCAPTCHA Privacy
Terms of Service
reCAPTCHA Terms
Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Report a Bug
Data Request
Contact Us
Security
DMCA
© 1999–2026 Urban Dictionary ®
Mugs
Tees
Hoodies
Pro Customization
Create unique products with your own words and definitions
Preview
Personalize Your Design
Your Word
Your Definition
Element #34 with the symbol Se. Selenium usually comes as a smooth, black, glossy solid, like a chunk of sexy chocolate. It can also occur as a red powder, which is much more reactive than the black counterpart. Selenium has many applications in today's world, such as being a key ingredient in vitamin supplements and shampoos, solar cells, photoconductors, batteries, fertilizers, and glass production. One property unique to Selenium is that it is quite sensitive to light. This strange characteristic paved the way for the development of solar panels and other devices that utilise light/electricity. Selenium gets its name from the Greek "Selene", which means "moon". The reason for this is because at the time of its discovery, Selenium was placed directly above Tellurium on the periodic table. And Tellurium's name was derived from the Latin "Tellus", which meant "earth". It made perfect sense to name an element after a celestial body with correlation to another similarly-named element.
Text fits
Save
Cancel